6 Health Reasons To Drink A Beer A Day In 2016
February 29, 2016Beer often cops a bad rap in the press, it gets blamed for violence, accidents, stupidity, failing studies... well I guess it's not all unwarranted. Below though are some scientific reasons to grab a growler of beer from your favourite brewery and pour yourself a cool delicious glass of golden heaven.
1) Beer could potentially make you live longer...
- After reviewing approximately fifty studies the USDA stated that moderate drinkers of alcohol live longer than non drinkers.
2) Drinking beer can help you stay slim...
- The Diet Myth by a London professor of genetic epidemiology, Tim Spector, claims that Belgian Beer is perfect for increasing gut microbes which can aid digestion, he also supports the benefits of poo transplants though...
- Considering all the fuss made about calorie intake in most dieting programs it is worth noting that even Guinness stout is lower in calories than skim milk or orange juice! Combine that with the fact it's made from grain and hops and you are basically drinking a glass of water with a salad.
- A study at UCL found: ‘There is a common notion that beer drinkers are, on average, more ‘obese’ than either non-drinkers or drinkers of wine or spirits. ‘The association between beer and obesity, if it exists, is probably weak.
3) Beer can strengthen your heart...
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A study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology that consisted of an analysis of 16 previous studies results with more than 200,000 participants found that people who drank about a pint of beer a day had a 31 percent reduced risk of heart disease.
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A Harvard report also states that moderate consumption of alcohol reduces the risk of heart attacks or death caused by cardiovascular diseases by 25 to 40 percent. Researchers at The Harvard School of Public Health found that moderate consumption of beer helps in preventing blood clots that block blood supply to brain,heart and neck.
- Teetotalers in a Virginia Tech study were 56 percent more likely to experience coronary heart disease than regular moderate drinkers (1-3 standard drinks, 3 times per week) this report was based on a government survey of nearly 500,000 Americans.
- The USDA also estimates that moderate drinking prevents about 26,00 deaths a year due to lower rates of heart disease,stroke and diabetes.
4) Beer helps to fight cancer
- Xanthohumol – a flavonoid found in hops – is an antioxidant which inhibits cancer-causing enzymes
- A certain type of carcinogens called heterocyclic amines(HCAs), produced when meat is pan fried,can be eliminated by seventy percent if steak is marinated in beer (I'd be more excited about this if it didn't have to be done pre-cooking but could rather be accomplished after consuming the charred meat...)
5) Beer keeps your brain sharp
- A study in the New England Journal of Medicine, again from Harvard researchers, found that women who had one alcoholic drink a day were less likely to find their mental faculties declining as they grow older.
- A study by organic chemists at Lanzhou University, China found Xanthohumol, a compound in the hops used to flavour beer, is able to protect the brain from degenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, although remembering last night will still be difficult after overindulgence of the amber nectar.
6) Beer can increase bone strength and prevent kidney stones
- Beer consumption was found to be inversely associated with risk of kidney stones; each bottle of beer consumed per day was estimated to reduce risk by 40% Am J Epidemiol 1999;150:187–94.
- The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition also published a paper which showed a clear increase in bone density for moderate beer and wine drinkers however increased alcohol consumption also brought an increased risk of fractures... probably due to poor life choices rather than weakened bones though...
So there you go, go put your feet up, pour yourself a beer and if someone questions you, tell them that the toast "to your health" exists for a reason (or 6)